


Free Kurt - Jeff Style

by elle_delajoie



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Not Blaine or Klaine Friendly, free kurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25754047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elle_delajoie/pseuds/elle_delajoie
Summary: Free Kurt - How Kurt Did Not End Up Engaged to BlaineJeff Steps UpJeff oversleeps and misses the rehearsal for the proposal and barely slips into the rotunda before the song ends. He had been at a dentist appointment the previous afternoon and had no idea what was going on, but he figured it out quickly. Kurt did not look excited as he came down the stairs. Wary was a better word. Jeff steps up - literally.
Comments: 20
Kudos: 179
Collections: Free Kurt Challenge August 2020





	Free Kurt - Jeff Style

Jeff came running into the rotunda right as the song was ending. Sebastian gave him an aggravated look. Jeff looked up and saw Kurt coming down the stairs. His brain reengaged from having overslept and he realized there were rose petals falling from the upper floor. He looked around. There were guys and girls in school uniforms from another school. And a group in sky blue show choir performance outfits – Vocal Adrenaline, maybe. Definitely the New Directions. He listened to the song. Sebastian shifted a bit and he saw Blaine standing at the bottom of the stairs wearing the ugliest suit he had ever seen. He didn't even know that suits were made in mustard yellow. He refocused again. His brain finally kicked into functional mode.

_This is a proposal._

He wasn't going to stand around a second time and let Kurt be hurt. He and Kurt had rebuilt their friendship after the Jackson-off slushie incident the year before. He pushed through the crowd as the song was coming to a close. He stepped up the few steps to reach Kurt. He picked him up and put him over his shoulder fireman style and booked up the stairs. He took a left at the top, went through the archway, and through a door that led into a study room with tables in it. He quickly closed and locked the door behind him. He carried Kurt through the room to another door that led to a regular set of stairs into the common room area.

At that point he put Kurt down and took him by the hand. They headed through the exterior door at the bottom of the stairs and took a right. Jeff made his way around the backside of the building as quickly as he could. He fumbled with his wallet, and pulled out his ID card to get the exterior door to open. He ushered Kurt inside. He pulled him along through the corridor and back out the building on the other side, as close as he could get to the student parking lot. He used his remote to unlock his car as soon as he got close enough. He got Kurt inside, started the car, and pulled out of the parking lot.

"What the hell was that, Kurt?" He kept his eyes on the road. "A proposal? After what he did to you? Did you break up with Adam? Why is Blaine proposing to you?"

Kurt sat there, tears streaming down his cheeks, looking even more catatonic than he had when he was standing on the stairs.

Jeff turned down a residential street and pulled over and parked. He whipped his phone out quickly and powered it down. "Power off your phone, so no one can track you." He reached out and put his hands on Kurt's shoulders gently. "Kurt? It's okay. I'm here. Give me your phone." Jeff opened a text to "Dad" and texted him that Kurt was safe, and then powered Kurt's phone off. "Take a deep breath."

"Thank you," Kurt said feebly.

"Yeah, sure. Anytime. If I were going to get hit by a bus, you'd pull me out of the way."

"You think that's what I was doing?"

"We talked about this. You deserve to be more than 1/6 of a relationship. Klaine isn't healthy."

"I can't come back to Ohio – specifically Lima. I agreed that we could attempt to rebuild our relationship. We could start with being friends again. Adam and I are still dating casually. I just haven't been able to commit to him. Everyone is all 'Blaine this' and 'Blaine that'. And how amazing it will be when Blaine gets to New York and we'll all be together again."

"He cheated on you. Why would you consider taking him back?"

"You don't get it, Jeff. EVERYONE is Team Klaine. You say I deserve to be more than 1/6 of a relationship. Well, without him I am nothing. In their minds, I do not exist outside of Klaine."

Jeff started the car back up.

"Whenever Adam comes over to do something fun like bake cookies or watch _Downton Abbey_ , Rachel makes it her business to be home and interfere by being the third wheel. Santana told him about my indiscretion with Blaine at the wedding. Adam and I weren't even dating, but she made sure to make it super clear that I'm not available. I told him that I desperately wanted to be over Blaine. It's just that no one will let that happen. My dad brought him to New York for Christmas. He drove me to Dalton today. Even after I asked him for an option besides saying 'yes', 'no', or 'maybe', he told me to go in and listen to what Blaine had to say." Kurt looked around. "Where are we going?"

"The airport."

"I don't have my ticket or luggage."

"Turn your phone on long enough to tell your dad to meet us at the airport. Once he's on the line, put it on speaker and I'll tell him exactly where to meet us."

Twenty minutes later, they were at the airport. Jeff retrieved Kurt's bags from Burt's SUV.

"Kurt what's going on?"

"I can't talk right now, Dad. Jeff's doing what I practically begged you to do. He's giving me another option. I'll call you later."

Burt nodded and got back in his SUV and pulled off.

Jeff bought a ticket on the same flight on standby. He stood around in the area where the flight was set to board. He offered three different people $200 to offer to fly on the next flight out before he got someone to take him up on it. He spent the rest of the time on his cell phone.

When he and Kurt got to Bushwick, they were met by a moving company.

"What's going on?" Kurt asked.

"You're moving to my apartment today."

"You have an apartment here?"

"It was my 18th birthday present. I'm going to Columbia. It's not going to be all that close to NYADA, but it's not any farther away than Bushwick. Let's get your stuff packed."

Kurt changed into work clothes and gave Jeff a baggy t-shirt that Finn had left behind and a pair of too-short sweatpants to wear instead of his Dalton uniform.

With the help of the movers, they had packed everything quickly and three hours later, they were carrying all of Kurt's stuff into Jeff's apartment. They put everything of Kurt's into one of the bedrooms – his mattress, his desk and stool, all of the boxes, the kitchen table and the two vintage chairs Kurt had found, the black leather seat from a car that had been turned into a sitting chair, plus the rest of his smaller items like lamps and his sewing dress form. They had left the large wood storage piece Kurt was using as a room divider in the living room against an empty wall since there was no room for it in the bedroom.

"Rachel's going to have a cow when she gets back tomorrow and the loft is half empty."

"You said you paid for those things, so they are rightfully yours."

"I paid for other things too. I just didn't feel right taking the appliances and the kitchen stuff that I split the cost of with Rachel's dads. I'll have to talk to Santana about taking over my half of the lease. She's been sleeping on the couch, so she can just keep doing that until she gets a bed."

"I love that mid-century-ish piece you were using as a room divider."

"That was an amazing find." He looked at everything sitting around in the room. "I've been thinking about getting a real bed frame. That's why I left the pallets behind. Santana can use them or sell them if she wants to. I eventually want to get one with room to store stuff underneath."

Jeff took his phone out and looked something up. "Alright. Let's head out. I was pretty sure I remembered which way to go, but I was just checking. Text Adam and see if he's free any time tomorrow."

Kurt followed Jeff. He hailed a taxi as soon as they were outside. They got out at an athletic store and Jeff bought a pair of running shoes and some athletic socks and put them on. From there they walked to the Columbia bookstore. Jeff grabbed a pair of joggers and a hoodie that fit. After he paid for them, he swapped the too-short pants he had on and pulled the hoodie on over the tee. They saw a taqueria that looked interesting on their walk back to the apartment. They ordered their food to go.

When they got back, Kurt called Burt while they got out the food they had ordered and put it out on the table. He put the phone on speaker.

"Hey, Dad. I'm here and I'm fine. I just wanted to let you know."

"Well, that's good. I thought about what your friend said. I called and talked to Rachel after I left the airport. She wasn't very helpful. Tell me what's going on."

"No. You took his side." Kurt couldn't contain the tears. "I shouldn't have to tell you things that are private in order for you to be on my side. I'm your son. This is exactly why I never told you. I figured you'd choose him over me anyway. Everyone else has. Practically everyone I know was there today – all in support of Blaine asking me to marry him. It was a big production. It's over. I'm not going back to Ohio any time soon. If you want to see me, you can come to New York."

"You're awfully mouthy."

"I missed a whole week of school and work to come be with you. I love you more than I love anyone, but you wouldn't offer me an option other than to walk into a huge, emotionally manipulative situation where my only option that didn't alienate everyone in the room was to say 'yes' and get engaged to someone in high school. What happened to the Burt Hummel who was adamantly opposed to Finn and Rachel getting engaged in high school? You said I looked like I was going to my execution, Dad. Think about that. You kept going and told me to go in and listen to what he had to say. When you're ready to be on my side unconditionally, let me know."

"How was I supposed to know something had changed and you weren't interested in getting back together?"

"You could have asked. My dinner's waiting. I'll email you later." Kurt disconnected the call. He sat down at the table with Jeff. "Thanks for everything."

"I couldn't just stand there. You looked like you were going to agree to marry him. What happened to the Kurt Hummel who argued with the Dalton staff about brooches not being specifically forbidden, therefore should be allowed as an accessory?"

"He disappeared. I haven't seen him in a couple of years. He made a brief reappearance when I went back to McKinley junior year, but I haven't seen him often since then. I pushed him deep inside right after you and Nick moved on to the next round of auditions, not long after I started at Dalton."

"Why?"

"I asked Blaine for some 'sage' advice once you two had gone back towards the room. He told me not to try so hard."

"He what?"

"He said something about how things were at McKinley and sarcastically asked if I noticed that everyone at Dalton wore a uniform. And said that I needed to learn to be part of the team. I told him that I was used to having to put a lot of effort into getting noticed. He told me that I wouldn't make it as a Warbler if my goal was to get noticed. I apologized. He reassured me that I'd learn to fit in soon enough. I stopped trying to tailor my uniform in some way that fit within the guidelines and I gave up wearing anything besides exactly what everyone else wore. I learned to keep my head down, focus on my schoolwork and singing my part correctly, and not draw attention to myself."

"Wow. That's rich coming from the king of jumping on furniture like a preschooler."

"It doesn't matter now. The past is over." He went back to eating his stir fry for a while. "I appreciate you letting me stay here."

"No problem. This place has been in my family since my grandpa went to Columbia. Then my dad. Now me. I won't be back to move in permanently until after the Fourth of July. That gives you three and a half months to figure out what to do. Hopefully Santana will take over your part of the lease. That would give you three months to save up for a new place of your own."

"I can't just live here for free."

"This place is paid for. The interest from my trust fund pays the utilities now. I don't want your money, Kurt. I just want you to have time to get back on your feet."

"Thank you isn't strong enough. If I can't get Santana to take over the lease, I'll still have to pay my portion of the rent, but I'll do everything I can to get her to do it. A couple of months alone will help me see whether I want to look into a shared living space again or whether I want to look for a shoebox of my own." Kurt went back to eating. "How is this place so clean?"

"That was one of the things I did while we were waiting to fly out. I had the cleaning service come to clean and make the beds and put towels out and everything. My family has been coming here for trips and vacations for a long time. With no one actually living here, we have a cleaning service come in once a month. If we're coming to stay, they go ahead and make the beds and everything. Once I start living here, it will be up to me."

"I'll do it while I'm living here."

Jeff nodded. "Okay. Sure. Just so you know, there is cable and internet access. I'll get the router turned on while you empty your boxes. It's included in the cost, so don't worry about using too much bandwidth or anything."

Kurt nodded and continued to eat. "Is someone moving in with you in July?"

"Nick. He'll be staying in the room you're in. Nick's parents actually gave him their place here too, but it's just a small place his dad uses for work, but he's not used it much recently. He's been doing more work out of the Chicago office. Nick's going to rent it out and we're going to use the money to cover the utilities and our food and stuff."

"That's a nice arrangement."

"I know. We're spoiled. Now that I'm thinking about it, I can ask him if he's already rented it to someone. If he hasn't, he could mail you a copy of the key and you can go see if you're interested in renting it."

"That would be great." Kurt practically jumped with his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and looked at it. It was a text from Adam. He passed it over to Jeff. "Can you put in the address so he knows where to come tomorrow?"

"Sure." When he finished, he got up and cleared his stuff away. "I'm going to shower and head to bed in a bit. Is there anything you need help with before I do that? I still have studying left to do for midterms this week, so I have to leave early to fly back." He opened a drawer and pulled out a keychain. "This is the spare key. You can use this one." He put it on the table next to Kurt.

"Thanks." He picked it up. "I'm going to go ahead and unpack all of my stuff. Maybe you can help me get my table under the bed or in the closet quickly."

"Sure."

Before they got the table situated, Santana called. She was so loud that Kurt didn't even need to put it on speaker for Jeff to be able to hear.

"Either you moved out or we've had a burgler who only took your stuff."

"I moved out. I need to know if you're interested in taking over my room and paying half of the rent."

"Let me call Dani. I'll call you right back."

Jeff and Kurt managed to get the table in the closet leaned against the wall. He offered to help Kurt with his clothes. The movers had used boxes with clothing rods, which made it go very quickly.

Santana called back and agreed to meet Kurt on Monday to make the lease change official.

Kurt showered, but wasn't ready to try to sleep. He went out into the living room and turned the TV on with the volume down low.

Jeff came out a few minutes later. "Can't sleep?"

Kurt sighed. "Just because you, and I'm assuming Nick, have taken my side, that doesn't mean that anyone else has or ever will. Bridges were set on fire this morning. Whether any will be rebuilt is unknown. The weight of all of that is crushing to be honest." He took a deep breath. "But even in the midst of the internal chaos, there's this feeling of peace that I haven't felt in a long time."

"That's good. I didn't really consider the ramifications of what I did. Like I said, it was like seeing a friend about to get run over. I just reacted. I'm sorry for any problems it's going to cause you."

"I know what deer who freeze in headlights feel like now. And sadly enough, I'm sure that I would have opened my mouth and accepted. It's hard to turned down a public proposal."

"The idea seems romantic until you really think about it, which I hadn't really. I've seen videos before and it always looked like so much fun for everyone, but that's not what I saw today."

"I think it could be great fun if both parties feel the same about getting married when one of them plans the proposal. But as far as surprises go, I wouldn't recommend it. Surprise someone with an engagement ring in private."

Jeff nodded. "Right."

"I need to put in my change of address with the post office Monday. It will only be a couple more weeks before letters will go out from the schools I applied to in the fall before Madame Tibideaux called upon me to perform at the Winter Showcase. I have three months to figure out which path to take."

"You're not going to stay at NYADA?"

"I'm not sure. It hasn't been exactly what I had expected. I'm going to go visit the schools I applied to in person before the letters come out. That way I can make a more informed decision this time."

"That's a good idea. You're free to choose any path you want." He walked towards the kitchen to get the glass of water he had come out to get.

Kurt began flipping through channels again. He repeated what Jeff had said. "I'm free."

**Author's Note:**

> Check out the **Free Kurt** tag for more stories where a variety of Glee characters keep Kurt from accepting Blaine’s proposal.


End file.
